KATHMANDU, Nov 27: Tensions continue to simmer within the Nepali Congress (NC) as the party struggles to reach a consensus on its 15th general convention. The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting, initially scheduled for 1 PM on Thursday, has now been postponed to 2 PM on Friday.
The delay comes amid growing disagreements over the convention, with leaders holding firm to their positions and debates becoming increasingly complex. Proponents of a special general convention, including General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, have pushed for a timetable-based decision to hold the convention after the March 5 elections. Meanwhile, Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka and leader Shekhar Koirala have insisted that any decision must be reached through consensus.
Agreement still elusive as ruling parties intensify serious neg...
Sources close to the leadership say both Khadka and Koirala are opposed to majority-based decisions, fearing they could split the party. They emphasized that Khadka is willing to step aside rather than take a controversial decision on his own. Central Committee member Ramhari Khatiwada confirmed, “It is clear that no disputed decision will be made by him.”
On Saturday, the CWC reportedly reached a unanimous decision to register the party for the National Assembly and House of Representatives elections using President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s signature. However, General Secretary Thapa later criticized the move on Facebook, suggesting the President’s signature alone was insufficient.
Khatiwada defended the decision, noting it was made unanimously and on a proposal by the General Secretary. Thapa, however, posted on social media on Monday that the party should select a new president through a special general convention and update the Election Commission’s records, questioning, “Will the party contest elections using the current President’s signature? I said no.”
The statement reportedly angered President Deuba, with some aides expressing concern that Thapa’s comments could deepen divisions within the party. Deuba is said to have voiced his displeasure, warning that holding a general convention before the elections could spark bitterness among leaders and party workers and potentially affect election results.
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